WHEREAS, wave power results from the harnessing of energy transmitted to waves by winds moving across the ocean surface. Taking the motion of the waves, and translating it into mechanical or electrical energy, generates energy from waves; and

WHEREAS, wave energy generation devices fall into two general classifications, fixed and floating. Fixed generating devices, which are mounted either to the sea bed or shore, have some advantages over floating systems, particularly in the area of maintenance, although the number of suitable sites for fixed devices is limited; and

WHEREAS, in contrast, the oscillating water column generates electricity in a two step process. As a wave enters the column, it forces the air in the column up the closed column past a turbine, and increases the pressure within the column. As the wave retreats, the air is drawn back past the turbine due to the reduced air pressure on the ocean side of the turbine; and

WHEREAS, in the 1970's, both Japan and England began to develop methods to use wave energy for power generation. Because of strong winds, the United Kingdom is considered to be one of the world's most favored locations for the extraction of wave power. However, large scale projects were eventually abandoned by the government as being uneconomical compared to traditional power generating devices. Nearly a decade after the British government withdrew support for wave power projects, however, the technology has recently been given renewed backing after studies have shown that costs have more than halved; and

WHEREAS, in the United Kingdom, machines named "Whiplash" and "Limpet" are pioneering the commercial development of wave power. The latter is the world's first commercial scale wave power generator, and has successfully fed electricity into the United Kingdom's national grid, on the Scottish island of Islay; and

WHEREAS, the Limpet can provide enough electricity for about four hundred local homes and has opened the door for wave power to become a major contributor of renewable energy. Limpet can also assist coastal communities around the world, especially island communities such as the State of Hawaii, which seek to replace diesel generation with a commercially viable, competitive, and clean form of sustainable energy; and

WHEREAS, while wave power has great potential – for example, studies from the European Commission suggest Britain could generate all the electricity it needed if only 0.1 per cent of the energy around its coast was collected – there are still enormous hurdles to be overcome before Britain and other countries can begin to make use of even a small percentage of wave power because the technology is still in its infancy; and

WHEREAS, some disadvantages of wave power technology include relatively high construction costs due to mooring problems, the bulkiness and comparative complexity of the structure, and the water-based location. In comparison to fossil fuels and some wind power plants, the electricity produced by the new wave generator on the island of Islay is relatively expensive compared to fossil fuel costs, although prices will likely fall as the technology is refined. However, it may take additional time and investment into renewable energy sources before the chief comparative bonus with other renewable resources, i.e., the fact that wave power generators use up and deface less land, will prevail over economic considerations; and

WHEREAS, moreover, wave power does not produce electricity at a steady rate and therefore not necessarily at times of peak demand. Unless a way can be found of storing energy efficiently, and without incurring a considerable loss, wave power may not help in reducing the overall need for fossil power stations, but rather allow them to run at a lower rating for a certain amount of the time; and

WHEREAS, because of the unreliable rate of production, questions may be raised as to whether the role of wave power should be as a major contributor to the State's energy supply, or if it should rather be restricted to smaller scale applications around the State, including the economic feasibility of large versus small scale production; and

WHEREAS, several studies have already been conducted regarding the feasibility of wave power as an alternative renewable energy resource for Hawaii. The potential to develop wave power as a commercially viable energy source is assisted by Hawaii's almost constant trade winds, which cause fully developed seas throughout most of the year; and

WHEREAS, a 1992 study entitled "Wave Energy Resource and Economic Assessment for the State of Hawaii", prepared by SEASUN Power Systems of Alexandria, Virginia, found that while Hawaii's wave energy resource is large, its practical development potential is limited by the following considerations:

• Environmental constraints based on potential negative impacts and local public concerns, particularly with regard to visual appearance;

• Utility constraints based on time variability of the wave resource and the limited capacity of onshore transmission lines; and

• Financial constraints based on the limited number of economically feasible sites for land based or caisson based systems and risks associated with uncertainties in cost and performance projections for offshore systems;

and

WHEREAS, the 1992 study further noted that site specific, technology-specific evaluations are required to determine the limits that environmental and utility constraints will place on wave power development in Hawaii, and that construction and operation of a demonstration plant would reduce the uncertainties in cost and performance projections, thereby making it easier for developers to obtain financing for commercial projects; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to study the advantages and disadvantages associated with the development of wave power as a commercially viable renewable energy source in Hawaii; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, through its personnel having expertise in energy and technology, is requested to update its study regarding the feasibility of developing wave power as a renewable energy resource for Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study is requested to include the feasibility of constructing a commercial wave power generator in Hawaii, similar to the Limpet wave power station in the United Kingdom; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study is further requested to review the feasibility of large versus small scale wave power generators, and to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of implementing wave power technology in Hawaii as a renewable resource; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2002; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, and the Head of the Division of Energy, Resources, and Technology.